7th Arrondissement Museum Gift Shops

THANK YOU PBERS for attending my Color-Friday Sale! What a lovely turnout. Your watercolors are in the post along with the November map as of Monday. This map is focused on museums of the 7th arrondissement. I know everyone rushes to the Louvre and d'Orsay, but the wealthy 7th Paris is flush with excellent small museums offering unique Christmas gifts (if you're not sending letters from Paris)...

Haven't you always wanted a statuette of Marianne on your desk?

Or a coffee mug announcing you are president for those who may think otherwise?

Red, white and blue gifts for all ages at the boutique for l'Assemblé.

For those with delusions of grandeur

Or a Napoleon complex the 7th arrondissement is definitely the place to go.

You could cover your tree with Napoleons, gold eagles and the Royal crest.

The ethnic musée Branly has a large separate boutique beside the main building.

The Branly is an unusual space to explore with an exotic collection.

And the gift shop reflects the collections in depth.

Outside a glorious holiday lightshow.

Just on the border of the 7th is the don't miss Musée de la Monnaie just by the Pont Neuf.

They make all the coins of the realm plus for many other countries.

Does someone you know deserve a medal? This is the place to come.

Along wih their outstanding coin collection they feature single artist exhibit. British artist, Grayson Perry is on view at the moment. They stay open late on Wednesdays. After you've collected your medals and rare coins, come out and get your socks knocked off by the luminous Pont Neuf.Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast watercolors, letters 💌, and maps in your mailbox, check out my Etsy shop. 

Bon Soirée dear PBers ❤️ 🐻

19th Rendez-Vous du Carnet de Voyage, Clermont-Ferrand

HAPPY HAPPY THANKSGIVING Everyone! I'm still recovering from the feast of last weekend's annual. RENDEZ-VOUS DU CARNET DE VOYAGE in Clermont-Ferrand. Here's a few of the bits and bobs I collected at the sketchbook fair.

100 carnettistes or sketchbook artists have stands (on 2 floors) and trying to see every one of them can be wearing but immensely inspiring if you love to draw.

My teacher Jeremy Soheylian has 2 new books in addition to his Burgundy book.

All the artists present have books and hand-made items for sale.

Plus there's a huge book area to browse.

You buy the books and then come back to the artist's stand to get them personally signed

I was delighted to meet at last JULIETTE PLISSON, whose watercolors I've admired for ages.

Fun to see her paintbox

And colors

And exquisite, fluid landscape watercolors. She teaches every Monday in Neuilly and I'm going soon.

She makes these wonderful accordian books. I couldn't resist her Venice panoramic littlle book.

JOAQUIN DORAO has been at the fair everytime I've attended. Accordian sketchbooks are clearly very popular.

Behind him the map of his trip in Spain.

His printer takes apart his actual sketchbook painted on the trip and then stitches it back together.

His tiny traveling paintbox. Dorao does travel workshops in Crete etc.

I was fascinated by these tiny 3" sketchbooks of CLAUDIO BORSATO.

A whole box was filled with them

He said a friend sent them from Amsterdam. If they'd been available at the fair art shop i would have grabbed some. Borsato uses a BIC ballpoint pen to do these wonders!

Fortunately there were areas where you could sit and listen to audio travel adventures...and possibly catch a few Zzzs before looking at more sketchbooks.

Speaking of bits and bobs, I'm having a 🎨 water C O L O R - F R I D A Y sale on ETSY starting tomorrow...lots of watercolors sitting around here you might enjoy going for not much.

Enjoy your Turkey!

Imperial Chocolat Fontainebleau

I'm drawing in my hotel room in Clermont-Ferrand whilst at the 19th Rendez vous du Carnet du Voyage conference...remembrances of the fabulous 3-day IMPERIAL CHOCOLAT À CHATEAU FONTAINEBLEAU on Friday...Hurry up! You can still go today.

Friday was a tad misty, a tad gloomy but who cares when such beauty awaits inside the chateau (just 30 minutes from Paris c/o Gare de Lyon).

Forget the rush to Versailles

And the annoying crowds

And long lines.

Fontainebleau makes you feel like a princess (or prince) especially if you visit during the week.

Jaw-dropping splendid decorations

The current exhibit on..

Your reward after visiting the castle...a short walk through the courtyard et voila -Salon du Chocolat

Banks and banks of superb chocolate to taste

And buy

Some of tje best chocolate sculptures ever

Many created with Fontainebleau in mind like this stairway.

Perhaps the best chocolate box ever. Why didn't I get it?

Created by the one and only president of RELAIS DESSERTS, patissiere FREDERIC CASSEL. At the billetterie I said. I was the guest/invitée of Frederic and the ticket man said, "You know, I think he is the best pastry chef in France." I agreed. You must stop in on your way to visit the chateau.

Pastries made for kings and queens IMHO.

True I only got this viennoisserie because it was citron and something different. Utterly fab. Coming home to the Ile Saint Louis, crossing my bridges with an early departure for the RENDEZ-VOUS DU CARNET DE VOYAGE the next morning at 6am. I made it and bought THREE new sketchbooks I probably didn't need. See above picture.

Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast watercolors, letters 💌, and maps in your mailbox, check out my Etsy shop. 

HELLO from Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne ❤️